# Backup and restore procedure Appsearch

**URL:** <https://discuss.elastic.co/t/backup-and-restore-procedure-appsearch/349049>\
**Category:** Elastic Search\
**Tags:** elastic-app-search\
**Created:** [December 11, 2023, 1:37pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/backup-and-restore-procedure-appsearch/349049 "2023-12-11T13:37:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SanderP](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@SanderP](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/SanderP)\
**Post date:** [December 11, 2023, 1:37pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/backup-and-restore-procedure-appsearch/349049/1 "2023-12-11T13:37:06Z")

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Hi,

I was looking into the backup and restore processes for Appsearch. Based on [How to backup and restore your engines? - Elastic Enterprise Search - Discuss the Elastic Stack](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-to-backup-and-restore-your-engines/207438) I had a look at the out of the box snapshots, but within Appsearch this isn't 1:1 usable. We are using continues API based engines and exploring the possibility to go back 1 day for example in case of data issues on a specific engine.

Is there any input/advise how to make this possible? Especially the full overwrite doesn't seem possible without additional actions.

_[Untested / exploring]_  
**Temporarily** use another engine:

1. Use a metadata engine set-up (even with 1:1 engine usage)
2. Restore .ent-search-engine-documents-xxxxx from snapshot
3. Rename engine to a new name
4. Do not restore alias
5. After restore adjust index.hidden to allow usage in Appsearch
6. Create a Elasticsearch based index with a proper name and alias
7. Switch engine in meta engine temporarily to the restored engine

**Overwrite** existing engine

1. Use existing engine & alias during restore

- When restoring to an existing engine this is not allowed as the index is open. Closing the (hidden) index allows restore and opens up the index automatically again

- When restoring the engine that doesn't exist anymore (i.e. someone deleted it by mistake) restoring is successful, but it is **not** visible in AppSearch. Trying to create the Appsearch engine results in an error (requiring manual action in .ent-search-actastic-search\_indices\_v1 to release the engine name for future usage - 'Already in use error').

- When creating an Appsearch engine first with the previous name and restoring into it (including closing index - see bullet 1) is successful, but unusable as schema, result settings and other settings are not restored. These are not included in the .ent-search-engine-documents-xxxxx index.

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 1:37pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/backup-and-restore-procedure-appsearch/349049/2 "2024-01-08T13:37:56Z")

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